shurtleff



@with ,taire vgtttrnt @Hita Letters Patent No. 76,257, dated arch 31, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT 1N SALIVA-PUMPS.

@ttig-etuis nicht tu it these ettrts ttent :mt mating tint nf tige same.

TO AALL WHOM ITMAY GONCERN:

Be it known that I, A. M. SHURTLEFF, of Bostom'in the county of Suilolk, and State'of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Saliva-Pump; and I do hereby declare that the following, taken -in connection with the drawings 1which accompany and form part of this specication, is a description of myinvent'ion sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to `practise it.4 I

The invention relates particularly tosuch construction of a saliva-pump, for use in dental surgery, as shall adapt the vessel which serves both as the exhaust-chamber to draw down the saliva, and as a receptacle for the saliva, to lattachment to the dentists chair or other article of furniture,or wall, or fixture.

The drawings represent, at A, B, and 0,' a saliva-pump embodying'my improvements. A shows aside view of the pump, attached to thc back of a dentists chair; B shows a plan of the saliva-vessel; C, a rear view of the same. v

The ordinary saliva-pump is shown at D, it being 'composed simply of an elastic valveless bulb, attached to a glass tube havin-g u small bulbous chamber, the saliva being drawn into this chamber by expansion of the elastic hulb,'and the instrument being immediately removed from themouth for expulsion of the saliva into any convenient receptacle,by contraction of the elastic bulb. l

Saliva-pumps, however, have been' variously modified, and United StatesV Letters Patent,rNo. 50,461 and No.'71,799, have been granted for modified forms of these pumps, so made as to render them continuous in their action, the mouth-tube being kept in the mouth as long as it may be necessary to draw saliva therefrom; the latter patent having been granted to me. l

In my present invention, l employ a bottle or similar vessel, a, having connected to its top a flexible pipe, b, having an elastic bulb, e, in which are two valves, 0l e, the valve d controlling an opening,f, from one end of the bulb, and the valve `e the opening ofthe bulb into the pipe b.

When the bulb is compressed, air is expelled from it through the openingf, (the valve e closing-,land when the bulb expands, the valve CZ closes, and the bulb draws air from the vessel a, (the valve e opening,) thus y exhausting air from the vessel a.

A. flexible pipe, g, leads from vessel a, this pipc'having the mouth-pipe h at its end, and having projecting into the vessel a metal tube, z', both exible pipes beingconnected with the vessel a at its top, through the cap, stopper, or cover thereof.

As air is exhausted from the vessel a by the action of the bulb c, the saliva is drawn down through the mouth-tube and pipe gto iill the vacuum, and drops into` the vessel a.

The vessel a, I attach to the chair Ac, or to some other stationary object or surfacefsuch attachment being preferably made by means of a. pla'te or bnr, Z, connected to the neck of vessel a, by a loose-joint pin, fm, and ring n, and having at one end stationary teetho, and at itsoppositel end a slide, p, carrying teeth` q, the teeth o being inserted into the cloth, leather, or other upholstery of the chair, and thefteeth vof slide 42c being then driven into the same material, the slide .being yslid towards the teeth o, and being clamped in position by a screw, r. l i 'i A The fastening-device is preferably made a part of the apparatus, as seenin'the drawing, thus rendering the instrument free to be attached to any suitable surface. I

To enable the vessel a. to be discharged of its contents. when necessary", I attach a third pipe, s, thereto,

z this pipe having a cock, t, and leading to a sink or other place-of,l deposit.

When the vessel is to be emptied, it may be turned upside down, and thecock t-beingthen opened, the duid runs off through pipe s .by gravity. I prefer, however, to discharge the vessel a as lfollows -The end'of the pipe` s attached to the vessel a extends down into the same, and nearly to its bottom, as seen at A, and the pumpbul'o c has at each end a coupling-screw, tapfer connecting it to the pipe 6J As thebulb is worked to draw the saliva from the mouth, the valve next to the pipe b opens, whenV the bulb expands, (after being contracted by hand,) and the opposite 1vali/celosos, thus causing the saliva to be drawn down pipe g, and to flowinto vessel a, as before described. i g

When the vessel ci in tobe discharged, the bulb; is unscrewed from pipe 6, and reversed or screwedat its opposite end to said pipe b. As the bulb now expands, it draws air through its outer valve, and when it is contracted', this air is forced into the vessel a, and by its pressure expels the uid through the let-olf pipe s, the

cock t being opened for this purpose.

When the pump isin operation, the cockl must be closed. so that air may be exhausted from the vessel @to cause the saliva. to run through pipe g from the mouth.

In working elastic bulbs by hand, the disagreeable odor of the rubber compound is communicated to the hand of the operator, such odor being very unpleasant, especially where the hand is to be used in any vvay about a pei'sons face. l 'Io obviate this, I cover such bulb with a close-woven cloth or other coat, v, which keeps the hand from Contact with the rubber compound, and does not in the least impair the efficiency of the bulb or pump, or increase the diliculty of working it. v

I claim combining with the saliva-vessel or chamber, a. device`for attaching it to a. chair or other surface, substantially as described. v

I also claim, in combination with the vessel a, and its exible pipes and'niouth-piece and pump-bu1b, the let-ol` pipe r, substantially as described. i

v I also claim combining with pipes s and b and vessela, the reversible bulb c, or reversible valves for drawing the saliva into vessel a, or for expelling it therefrom, substantially as set forth.

Y I also claim covering an elastic pump-bulb with a close-woven or equivalent covering, substantially as shown and described. v

A. M. SHURTLEFF.

Witnesses:

J. B. CROSBY, FRANCIS GOULD. 

